Geraldo Rivera responds to groping allegations, defends Matt Lauer

Reporter Geraldo Rivera appears on the ‘FOX & Friends’ All American Concert Series at FOX Studios on August 24, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

Geraldo Rivera has now apologized to Bette Midler after she accused him this week of drugging and groping her in the 1970’s.

“Although I recall the time @BetteMidler has alluded to much differently than she, that does not change the fact that she has a right to speak out & demand an apology from me, for in the very least, publically [sic] embarrassing her all those years ago,” Rivera Tweeted. “Bette, I apologize.”

Midler has not said anything about the apology and her reps have no responded to requests to comment.

After Rivera posted a number of controversial tweets about sexual harassment in the workplace, Midler came forward with her claim.

When Matt Lauer was fired for sexual misconduct, Rivera posted on social media that “news is a flirty business” and the “current epidemic” of harassment allegations may be “criminalizing courtship.”

Fox News, Rivera’s current employer, has said it’s been “troubled” by the tweets” leading to an apology from Rivera.

In an old interview with Barbara Walters, Midler states that she was assaulted by Rivera.

“This was when [Rivera] was very sort of hot,” Midler told Walters decades ago. “And he and his producer left the crew in the other room, they pushed me into my bathroom. They broke two poppers and pushed them under my nose and proceeded to grope me.”

“Grope you?” Walters asked.

“Grope me,” Midler said. “I did not offer myself up on the altar of Geraldo Rivera.”

Once Twitter users found the interview and posted it online, Midler said she felt as though the video was “a gift from the universe.”

“Geraldo may have apologized for his tweets supporting Matt Lauer, but he has yet to apologize for this,” she went on along with the hashtag “#MeToo.”

Sad about @MLauer great guy, highly skilled & empathetic w guests & a real gentleman to my family & me. News is a flirty business & it seems like current epidemic of #SexHarassmentAllegations may be criminalizing courtship & conflating it w predation. What about #GarrisonKeillor?

— Geraldo Rivera (@GeraldoRivera) November 29, 2017

Tomorrow is my birthday. I feel like this video was a gift from the universe to me. Geraldo may have apologized for his tweets supporting Matt Lauer, but he has yet to apologize for this. #MeToo pic.twitter.com/TkcolFWfA2